What does a university writing consultant actually do?

Considering a career in writing support at a college, and I'm curious about what a university writing consultant's job entails. Do they mainly help students with essays, or is there more to it? I'd love to hear about their day-to-day responsibilities!

A university writing consultant, often part of a Writing Center staff, serves as a resource for students needing assistance with various types of writing tasks. Indeed, you're correct that a significant portion of their job involves helping students with essays, but their tasks are more varied than that.

One of the most pivotal roles of a university writing consultant is to offer one-on-one tutoring on writing projects. These sessions may range from brainstorming ideas and formulating a thesis statement, to problem-solving difficulties with structuring arguments, integrating and citing sources, focusing on grammar and syntax, and refining linguistic elegancy. They don't write or edit papers for students, rather they assist students in improving their own writing skills.

Furthermore, writing consultants often work with students across all disciplines, not just those involved in English or writing-intensive classes. This could mean helping a biology student understand how to write a lab report, or advising a communications major on crafting a persuasive argument. In some universities, writing consultants also assist faculty members in designing writing assignments or offering feedback on writing-intensive syllabi.

Consultants also facilitate workshops on various topics related to academic writing. These could be on topics like maintaining academic integrity, mastering APA or MLA styling, or improving research techniques.

It's a multifaceted role, but at its core, a university writing consultant is dedicated to helping others become better writers and leveraging writing as a tool for learning.